Stephen puffbe



S. PUFFER.

Car Coupling.

Patented ,lune 1867.

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Letters ,Patent .Na 65,602, dated June 11, 1867.

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TO ALL W'HOMV IT MAY-CONCER1T:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN BUFFER, of Oxford, in the county of Ohenango, and State of New York, have inventeda new and improved Car-Coupling; and IV do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this-specification, in which I i i Figure 1 is a plan viewthereci' showing its 4operation in coupling railroad cars.

Figure 2, a ccntralvertical section thereof, showing the coupling-link reversed, the automatic movements of the coupling-link by the Contact of the bumpers being indicated by red and blue dotted lines, and. the release of the link to pifevent'its automatic coupling by red positive lines.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the coupling, illustrating the coupling-link as thrown over into'an engaging position by the contact of the bumpers or otherwise; and

Figures'l and 5 are detached views of a bumper and of the reversible bumper-block fitting alike in either bumpl 'o permit ol' the adjustment of the coupling-link on either side at plea-sure.

Si'frrilar letters indicate like parts in euch of the figures.

The nature of my invention consists ol' an improvement in the arrangement of pivoted swinging-links or loops for coupling automatically railroad cars by extending the ends of th'e link beyond their pivot apertures and imparting thereto a cam shape, to be acted upon automatically by the contact of the bumpers; and also in the combination of a mortised bumper-block with the bumper of a coupling opposite that to which the link is pi\oted,ri'or the purpose of acting upon cams on said link to throw it over and cause its enga-gement when the bumpers come-together.

The bumpers A B in my improved car-coupling may be made solid if preferred. A square recess, a, (see fig. 4,) whose lower side is about on a line with the centre of the bumper, is cut into and across the end or face of each to receivel the axis n: of the coupling-link, and the lower edge of said face is alsocut back in a line 'panullel to said recess, so as to leave-a tongue, I), projecting between the two, coinciding with the bumper in width. In the recess a'of one bumper, (as B, iig. l, or A, fig'. 2,) I place a bar or axle, fr, and secure it therein at pleasure by means of a pivotpin, D, in an aperture pierced so as to pass centrally through the upper piece above the recess and through the tongue a, as well as through a pivot-hole pierced in said axle in the centre of its length. The inner edge or face of said axle :l: is so curved as that the axle may turnfreely in its pin in a horizontal plane. To the ends'ofl the axle are pivoted or hinged theends or arms of a suitably curved coupling-link or bail, E.y which is thus of sulieient length to'swing down entirely below the bumper and back lunder thesame, (sce red dotted lines, fig. 2.) Upon the face of the opposite bumper (A, fig. 1,'or B, fig. 2)*I place a bumper-block, F, consisting of a suitable block somewhat longer than the width ofthe bumpers, having a mortise cut longitudinally' and centrally through it of sufficient size to receive and embrace closely the tongue b formed in the face of cach bumper, :1nd so lformed as to fit accurately and snugly against or `upon said face. The cnds of this block, projecting ,outwardly on either side of the bumper when it is fitted thereon, have their iront faces bevelled upwardly on the upper edge, asillustrated at c, in figs. 3 and 5, from a point about midway of the width of said block. This block 'F is secured in place upon` the end of either bumper by the saine pin D.'wliich otherwise serves to secure the coupling-link, this pin passing through apertures pierced in the block above and below its mortise, so as to be in register with those in the bumper when properly placed thereon. The ends of the link or bail are provided with enlarged cam-plates or/cars. e c, and the .ends ofthe axis upon whichy said coupling-link is pivoted pass these ears in the upper portion thereof at points in front of thejuneture of the coupling-link with said ears, as seen in tig. 3, in such manner as thatwhen the coupling-link is elevated in avvertical position the front 'edges of said ears shall not project beyond the face of the bumper; but if it be thrown back, 'as seen in dotted lines, fig.- 2, the lower ends of said ears Ishallprojeet beyond and in front of the face of the bumper. T-hc front edges ofi-these ears are so curved as to formvcams having thepivot of the coupling-bail or link E for a @entre of motion. On'e or all-[of the coupling-links in a train may be attached to a cord, s, (as shown in g. 3,) leading within reach of the conductor or engineer, so that either may thereby uncouple the cars at pleasure. l

The operation of my improved coupling is as follows: The axle z of the swinging-link E is inserted in the recess a of the bumper and there pivoted and secured by a bolt or pin, D. The mortisedlblock F is fitted upon the opposite bumper und there secured by a. corresponding pin. Ii' now the link E be swung forward und allowed'. to drop over its bumper, as shown by redv positive lilies in fig. 2, und the cars are pushed together so th/ut the bumpers A and B strike, the link will swing beck freely under its'bumper and without coupling; but if, on the other hand,' the link be first thrown buck so as to lie over upon its bumper, :is indicated in red lines, tigfl, and the bumpers be now brought together by the movementof the cnrs, thenA the earns or ears ofthe link, projecting beyond the face of its bumper, (see dotted lines, fig. 3,) will be struck below their pivot- Centres by the lower portion of the projecting ends of the block F on theopposite bumper, and thus thrown back, so :is to throw thecoupling-link over and cause it to fall forward over the head of the pin D on said opposite bumper, in a.

position to engage therewith when the bumpers are drawn apart, as shown yin fig. 1, and in partial section fig 2.'.-

As the link E hus'free play both horizontally and verltieally, and swings also freely upon the pin D, whosehead is groove/d to receive end engage it, it cannot be lifted therefrom'nor the bumpers be uncouplcd by :my of the usual movementsof the car, but if either car turn overthe link is thereby instantly uncoupled. By meunsofthe cord s the engineer` and eonductolmay lift the coupling-links at pleasure.

I do not claim a, coupling-link swinging both horizontally and vertically and encircling the bumper, nor do I claim aJ swinging-link having arms extending beyond its pivot; but I claim asv an improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patentv 1. The combination of ca-ms e with the pivot ends of a. detachable, swivel-jointed coupling-link E, when said ends are so arranged a.s\to be struck by the collision of the carswhen thrown back upon the bumper.

2. I also claim the combination of a. detachable bumper-block with either bumper of arailway car and with a swinging coupling-linl{,'.all substantially in the manner and for the purpose setforth.

The foregoing specification of my improved ear-coupling `signed by me this 30th day of Merch, A. D. 1867.'-

f STEPHEN PUFFER.

Witnesses:

URI BARTLE, E. M. HAYNES. 

